


Coffee Talk

by snaeken



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Showers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 09:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15578679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snaeken/pseuds/snaeken
Summary: In which Brett is having a bad mental health day and Liam helps him through it.





	Coffee Talk

Normally Brett gets out of bed shortly after he wakes up. Not today, though.

It’s been a while since he’s had a bad day like this. He’s been doing well lately, well enough that he had almost forgotten the nameless dread swirling about inside him, how it drags him down and makes anything, everything, seem impossible to accomplish.

He’s so outwardly confident, is the thing. He likes going out, likes being around people, likes to keep himself busy. It’s when he stops that it creeps back in, turning his limbs to lead and making the act of movement so hard.

Brett sighs and rolls over in bed just as there’s a knock on the door.

“Brett, you’re still in bed?” Liam asks as he comes inside, stopping in the doorway. “You normally get up before now. Are you sick?”

“Not exactly.”

Liam sits down on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on top of Brett’s leg where he’s laying beneath the blanket. “Bad day?”

“... Yeah,” Brett sighs.

Liam’s face softens into something awfully close to pity. Brett knows it’s really sympathy, it’s just his mind turning it into something unnecessarily ugly.

“Can you sit up for me?” Liam asks.

He makes it sound so easy, like you can just decide to do it and it happens. It does just happen, most other days. Today it just seems so difficult.

“Hey.” Liam rubs Brett’s leg through the blanket. Even though there’s no direct contact, he still craves the feeling, wants Liam to keep going. “If you can’t get up then I’ll get back into bed, how’s that sound? We can have a cuddle day, watch some movies or something.”

It’s tempting, so tempting, to let Liam humour him this way. It wouldn’t take much for a one-off to become a habit though.

“I’ll get up.”

Brett’s limbs are fighting against him but he fights back, beating them into submission and sitting up in bed. Liam stands up and Brett pulls the blanket back, planting his feet on the floor. He’s taken the first step, now he just needs to take the next one. Brett stands up and Liam’s right there, opening his arms to hug Brett. He accepts the offer gratefully, melting into Liam’s arms. He might be an entire head - and maybe a bit of shoulder - taller than his boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean Liam can’t envelop him, make him feel protected when he needs it. Liam rubs his back just the way he likes it before pulling away and smiling up at Brett.

“You always feel better after washing. Do you wanna have a shower or just brush your teeth?”

“I should shower,” Brett admits. Liam’s right, it does make him feel a bit better.

“Awesome, you get in and I’ll bring you a towel.”

Brett pads through to the bathroom, turning the water on to let it heat up while he strips off. He brushes his teeth before the mirror can fog up then gets under the hot spray, sighing as the water washes away some of the weight in his limbs.

He’s not sure how long he’s standing there for before Liam chaps on the open door.

“Can I come in?”

Brett knows what he means. “Yeah, Li.”

Liam puts the towel on the rail then strips off himself, getting into the shower with Brett. He presses himself against Brett’s chest, leaving a few soft kisses where he can reach. For the first time that morning, Brett cracks a smile. He wraps his arms around Liam’s back, leaning down to kiss him properly.

Liam’s beaming when they break apart. “Want me to wash you?”

This is an offer he can happily accept. Liam soaps up the sponge, rubbing it up and down Brett’s body. Brett shivers at some of the spots Liam makes contact with; normally this would lead to more, much more. Not today though, that’s not what this is about.

Liam gives himself a quick wash then rinses them both off. They get out the shower and Liam grabs the towel from the rail. It’s the biggest, fluffiest one they own, which Brett happens to know can easily wrap around both of their bodies. Liam also knows this and wastes no time in pulling it around them both. Brett rests his head on top of Liam’s momentarily, burying his nose in Liam’s damp hair and breathing in the scent of his shampoo. He smells like peppermint and home.

Liam tries to manoeuvre them back to the bedroom, both of them giggling when they nearly trip because of their ridiculous position. Brett feels a little more like himself and takes the initiative to dry them both off. Once he deems them both dry Liam grabs them sweats and a t-shirt each and they get dressed.

“That movie offer’s still there, wanna watch something?”

Brett glances at their bed, thinks about how easy it would be to just crawl back into it.

“Yeah, but… maybe on the couch instead?”

“Sure.” Liam takes his hand and guides him out to the living room. They both sit down on the couch and Brett can see through the kitchen door that there’s coffee in the cafetière. Liam follows his gaze and wordlessly gets up and pours them both some, heating it up and bringing it back through. 

“Thanks,” Brett says.

“No problem,” Liam smiles. He sets down his cup and grabs his laptop from the coffee table, opening it up from where it was on sleep mode. Liam saves the word document he has open and closes it, as well as the half a dozen research tabs he had going. Guilt gnaws at Brett, overpowering some of the calm he got from the shower. Liam needs to stay focused on school, needs to ace all his classes. Student loans are going to financially cripple them both anyway, Liam’s degree at the end of it all should at least be worth something. He’s not worth Liam flunking his classes for.

“Actually, never mind. You should keep going with your essay, that’s more important.”

Liam’s face darkens in a way that’s very rarely directed towards Brett himself.

“Don’t say that.” Liam grips his shoulders, forcing Brett to look at him. “You’re my boyfriend and I’m in love with you. Your health and wellbeing is far more important to me than a stupid essay. Understand?”

Brett nods, lips curling up slightly. Even after all this time, Liam saying he loves him never fails to send a few sparks shooting through Brett’s chest.

“And besides,” Liam continues, calmer. “The essay’s not due until next week, I was just getting a head start on it.”

“Nerd,” Brett mutters and Liam laughs, kissing him. “You can pick something.”

Liam smiles and opens up a film, setting the laptop back down on the coffee table. Once it starts playing Liam tugs at Brett’s shoulders a bit. Brett goes pliantly and ends up with his head in Liam’s lap, where he’s more than happy to be. He’s even happier when Liam grabs the blanket off the back of the couch and pulls it over them both, making sure that Brett can still see.

As the movie goes on, Brett can feel himself slipping again. He doesn’t say anything though, doesn’t want to be even more of a burden on Liam. He probably had plans for the day, wanted to go out and do something. Instead he’s stuck on the couch watching a movie they’ve both seen before because Brett can’t get his shit together.

He’s pulled out of his stupor by Liam clicking his fingers in front of his face.

“You in there?” Liam asks when Brett looks up at him.

“Yeah, sorry.”

Liam looks concerned again and Brett wishes he wasn’t the cause of it.

“I wanna order pizza. Do you want your own or do you wanna share mine?”

Brett thinks about it seriously. There’s not technically a wrong answer when it comes to pizza but there’s not always a right one, either.

“I’ll have Hawaiian.”

Liam makes some fake gagging noises; he’s a pepperoni guy through and through. Brett likes it too but it’s good to have something different once in a while. Liam’s already dialling the number and Brett stifles a laugh when the call gets answered unusually quickly. Liam’s cheeks start to redden - the person on the other end definitely heard the gagging noises.

Brett sits up and repositions the blanket while Liam orders their pizzas, draping it over both of their legs. Liam ends the call and Brett’s face must be doing something questionable, because Liam’s giving him that look again which he’s seen far too often today.

“Come on, talk to me.” Liam’s voice is soft, encouraging. It makes Brett want to simultaneously tell him everything and push him away.

“I hate that I’m like this,” Brett whispers, voice betraying him when it shakes a little bit.

Liam pulls him in for a hug again, smoothing a hand through his hair. Brett closes his eyes and buries his face in Liam’s neck, breathing in and out, in and out.

“It sucks,” Liam agrees, “but it’s part of you, and I love you. All of you. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Brett breathes. “I love you too.”

“Glad to hear it,” Liam grins against his head. “It’d be a bit awkward if this whole thing was one-sided, don’t you think?”

Brett laughs despite himself, pulling away to find Liam smiling at him.

“You know it’s not forever. You’ve been through this before and it always passes, always.”

“I know,” Brett nods. Liam is right, is the thing. He’s always right, always knows exactly what Brett needs to hear. He’s so, so lucky.

“I’m really lucky to have you,” Brett voices the thought. Liam kisses him again, although it ends up being more of a smile against his lips.

“Yeah, I’m glad I’ve got you too. Now come on, let’s finish this movie. The pizza’ll be here soon.”


End file.
